:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72109692/1474734293.0.jpg "2023 NBA Draft prospects: Jarace Walker, Marcus Sasser among players to watch in Houston-Miami in Sweet 16")
The Houston Cougars and Miami Hurricanes will square off this weekend with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. For a few players, the game will also be one of the last in-game showcases for NBA scouts. Here is a look at which players to watch as they prepare to take the next step to the NBA in 2023-24.
NBA Draft prospects to watch
F Jarace Walker is the Cougars' biggest NBA prospect; he is projected as a borderline lottery pick. It's easy to see why. At 6-foot-8, 240 pounds and just 19 years old, the forward has proven himself an able big man. He likely projects as a smaller 4 in the NBA, averaging 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season.
G Marcus Sasser also figures to be drafted this Summer; he is a projected early second-round selection. Sasser is the engine behind Houston's offense. On a bad groin, he poured in 22 points and shot 5-for-9 from three-point range in a Round of 32 win over Auburn. The No. 1-seeded Cougars will need production like that for the rest of the tournament if they want to raise a banner in a few weeks.
NBA Draft prospects to watch
The Hurricanes are not as replete with NBA talent, but G Isaiah Wong is a projected mid-second-round selection. At 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, he has the size of a prototypical NBA guard, but he still has something to prove as his collegiate career winds to a close. Given his precarious draft projection, it may not be dramatic to say that Wong's performance against Houston will go a long way toward determining whether he gets drafted at all.